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Gladys native named UVA's football captain
By Megan Peak/The Union Star
Tuesday, September 2, 2008 12:48 PM EDT
Gladys is the home to a very well-known name in college football; former William Campbell football legend Cedric Peerman was named the University of Virginia's football captain for the 2008 season.
When the Union Star talked to Peerman last week, he explained that he was very excited and honored to hear that he was selected as captain.
"I'm just trying to be a good leader and lead by example," the captain said. "I find my nitches are just being a guy who leads by examples."
The team players vote on the captains during spring practice and then it is announced at the annual spring game, an inner-squad scrimmage.
Cedric Edwin Peerman was born October 10, 1986 in Lynchburg. He is the son of Melissa and Stanley Peerman and has two brothers, O.J. and Stanley, and a sister, Shereena.
Peerman lived in Gladys his whole life, with his family. He played all four years of football at William Campbell, although he started playing when he was 7-years-old for the Gladys/Brookneal community league.
While attending his hometown school, Peerman started his record-setting career as a four-year starter on both offense and defense for coach Brad Bradley. He was a PrepStar All-American, compiled several of the top totals in state history, scored a state-record of 708 points, was second in state history with 112 touchdowns, gained 5,078 yards rushing and added 787 yards receiving, played five 300-yard games and 23 100-yard games, was a two-time first-team all-state and he was named State Player of the Year as a senior when he rushed 222 times for 2,016 yards and 43 touchdowns.
In Dec 2004, Peerman attended UVA on a football scholarship. He graduated in May with a degree in sociology and will be competing as a graduate student this season.
During his career at UVA, Peerman has rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a sophomore after moving from wide receiver to running back midway through the season, is a standout sprinter and long jumper on the track team, being named state champion in the 100 meters as a junior and senior. He also placed fourth in the long jump and triple jump, and eighth in the shot put to lead his school to state championship. When he was a senior, Peerman played on the university's basketball team and received the DAR Good Citizen Award for the qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism.
In 2005, Peerman was named second-team Freshman All-America kick returner by CollegeFootballNews.com and second-team All-State by the Roanoke Times.
Peerman was having a dynamic season in 2007 until he injured his foot early in the Middle Tennessee game in week six and had to undergo surgery.
"I'm back to 100 percent," Peerman confirmed for this season. Games start towards the end of August for college football and can last until January.
This year will be Peerman's last on the UVA team.
"I'm finishing up my last year of eligibility," he explained.
Peerman was the ACC's leading rusher at the time of his injury and his 97.5-yards per game average would have ranked second in the league, but he did not play in enough games to qualify. He was also the team's leading rusher with a career-high of 585 yards.
Peerman said that he tries to make it home as often as his schedule will allow him.
"On season, I can't make it home, but during off-season I try and make it home whenever I can, weekends mainly," he said. "Last year was the first year in a long time I had been able to be home for Christmas; I missed the last four Thanksgiving for games."
The captain says he couldn't have accomplished all that he has without his parent's support of his love and talent for the game.
"My parents come to all the home games and some of the away games if they are close enough," said Peerman. "I definitely appreciate my family support; They always raised me in the correct manner and they never forced me to play football, it was always my choice and my decision."
"I am just thankful to God to have parents like that."
Peerman explained that he would love the chance to further his football career.
"If the opportunity presents itself, I would like to play for the NFL," he said. "Whatever plan the Lord has for me is just my first priority."
"We will just have to see what happens."
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